[DIV28SUPER] APA President-Elect Statement from Bob Woody

Dear Division 28 Members,

 

I have been in contact with each of the APA President-Elect Candidates and have invited them send us statements about what they would do during their term in office to help psychological sciences.

 

Please find below a statement from Robert “Bob” Woody, PhD, ScD, JD, ABPP (Clinical & Forensic)

 

Given our shared commitment to science for psychology, I appreciate the opportunity to provide my views to the Division of Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse. As will be evident, I have embraced the scientist-practitioner model throughout my career.

 

Because of my allegiance to science providing the foundation for practice and my involvement with health care, I was pleased that the APA strategic plan promotes STEM status for psychology, with special emphasis on health care and organizational efficiency. In addition to my identity as a psychologist (PhD, Michigan State) and an attorney (JD, Creighton), I had the good fortune of earning a Doctor of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health. As might be expected, the curriculum required courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, health services delivery systems, organizational theory, and medical sociology (with concentration on governmental influence on health care). Obviously this experience has proven to be a presage to contemporary health care issues.

 

Personal values lead me to support open-mindedness and authoritative advocacy. In other words, I welcome new information, and constantly search for new knowledge that is evidence-based—and I seek to bring about change that will benefit society and the profession.

 

My qualifications support making psychology a first-class citizen among the health care professions. By being in the forefront of research and practice, psychologists can lead the effort to provide quality services for ALL people, regardless of global, cultural, or individual characteristics.

As for the future, I believe that psychology should be linked to primary care, with respect and acceptance from all health-related professions. I promote new competencies and roles for psychologists, including (but not limited to) neuropsychology, prescription authority, and evidence-based assessment and interdisciplinary interventions. I believe that the scientist-practitioner model can persuade third-party payment sources to accept the value-added results of psychology in health care, such as the benefits from prescription authority.

 

Families and communities must be a primary focus for contemporary psychological services, addressing critical problems like discrimination, abuse, crime, and failures in governmental policy. Among other things, I am prepared to promote a resurgence of community mental health principles, as will address the unmet needs of the chronically mentally ill, homeless, disabled, offenders, and poor persons of all ages and cultures, including in disasters.

 

With persuasive communications and relying on tact and scholarship to gain desire outcomes, I shall constructively pursue the aforementioned professional objectives. I will bring high energy and interdisciplinary knowledge to the table, and work tirelessly for the creation of effective strategies and solutions—I do not waiver in the face of adversity. I will appreciate the support of Division of Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse for my candidacy for APA President-Elect.

 

Brief Bio: I am a Professor of Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and an independent practitioner of psychology and law. I have authored thirty-three books and about two hundred articles. I am a Licensed Psychologist in Florida and Michigan, and a member of the Florida, Michigan, and Nebraska Bars.

More information about my ideas and credentials may be found on my website: www.BobWoodyHelpsPsychology.com